Adding to
the ever-growing number of public art murals in Covington, Ky., BLDG welcomed
the Brooklyn-based street art collective, FAILE in October to complete a
massive painted Pop art installation in their torn collage style that spans three
walls and either side of Sixth Street.
BLDG, the locally
grown art gallery/branding firm, is responsible for numerous murals around
Covington including (but not limited to) 10 recognizable black and white characters
done by The London Police on notable Covington landmarks and businesses, as
well as the current COV200 mural project for the city’s bicentennial
celebration, which will involve more than 20 murals by the time it’s completed.
FAILE
artists Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller sent a crew of two studio assistants
to begin the initial layout for the piece, which involved pouncing an outline
of the design onto walls with cheesecloth bags filled with powdered pigment. Unfortunately
for their studio assistants who had come to do the initial legwork, whenever it
would rain (and before they could trace a more permanent outline with Sharpie),
a storm shower would come and wash it all away.
Despite
some less than ideal weather conditions during the two-week installation process,
the artists themselves came into town the final two days of painting and were
able to finish the grand installation by Oct. 23, when I met up with them at
Arnold’s amidst a full table of BLDG employees, headed by Lesley Amann.
Amann recently
stepped in as partner at BLDG after the founder — her husband, and the driving force
behind BLDG’s commitment to public art — passed away a year ago this month.
Lesley said that the FAILE mural was one of the last projects Mike began before
he got sick and when I asked Miller and McNeil, “Why Covington?” McNeil echoed
that sentiment.
According
to the artist, a large factor in FAILE’s involvement was due to, “getting to
know these guys and wanting to pull through for them and represent.”
Project leaders
unveiled the new three-wall piece to the public on Oct. 23 and the mural
included such iconography as the FAILE dog and a cat burglar on the opposing
wall, as well as a visual reference to some of the collaborative’s newer works,
which depict classic American muscle cars.
Patrick
Miller puts their artistic approach in simple terms.
“Our work
has always been about making images that people can find their own narrative in
and relate to in their own way. It’s always more fun for us to see the way
people react to the work — the kind of stories they make up about it. Whenever
you’re doing public work, that’s the beauty of it: It’s meant for anyone to
come see.”

Covington’s collection
of high-end street art expands today with the unveiling of a vibrant mural
created by Brooklyn-based artists FAILE. The mural will cover the rear walls of
the adjacent Republic Bank and Donna Salyer’s Fabulous Bridal buildings on the
corners of Sixth Street and Madison Avenue.
Patrick McNeil
and Patrick Miller, collectively known as FAILE, create multimedia
installations and collage, incorporating an experimental style and popular
cultural references. Although FAILE has exhibited art in traditional gallery
spaces, their work on city walls across the globe has put them on the
innovative edge of the street art community. Amsterdam, New York, London,
Bethlehem, Palestine and Vienna are just a few of the cities where FAILE’s work
can be found.
The Covington
collage-style mural was inspired by the artists’ “rip style painting.” It
features classic FAILE motifs along with suggestions of Kentucky culture. The
placement of the mural on two adjacent buildings allows the split images to
visually converse with each other through space. The mural’s high contrast and
dramatic aesthetic references FAILE’s inspiration from screen printing along
with urban contemporary art. The humorous overtone of the mural’s imagery makes
a strong visual connection to pop art and comic book illustrations.
Covington’s
BLDG, a cooperative arts organization working to “foster inspiration, the
visionary and the uncommon” will host the unveiling of the mural. BLDG nurtures
creativity by providing branding, gallery space, publicity and refuge for
artists and innovative thinkers. Their unique team brings internationally
celebrated artists to the Covington area, placing the city on the list of
artistically progressive areas. BLDG’s projects have included collaborations with the London
Police and Prefab77.
The unveiling
will take place from 5-7 p.m. tonight at the mural site. Drinks and food will
be provided by Rhinegeist, Arnolds, Tito’s Vodka and The Gruff (a pizza
shop/deli coming soon to Covington). Go here for more info.

As Downtown and Over-the-Rhine continue to see a growth of walking tours related to the revived inner city's heritage (especially its brewing heritage) and architecture, a new one will soon be offered dedicated to its ever-growing collection of public murals. ArtWorks, which is responsible for many of those murals (including a just-finished one at Eighth and Main streets dedicated to Cincinnati-born Pop artist Tom Wesselmann), will launch the tours in October as part of its Mural (Celebration) Month. They will continue into November, and then take a break. Beginning in 2015, they'll run April through November. Reservations will be needed for the tours, which will run 90 minutes and cost $20 for adults. Artworks also is looking for volunteers to guide those tours. If you're interested in either, visit artworkscincinnati.org where information will be available soon. Bus tours are being discussed, too, once streetcar construction is completed.

Downtown, Over-the-Rhine and other city
neighborhoods are being colorfully transformed by the mural program
shepherded by ArtWorks. But a forgotten Downtown mural called “Allegro” —
a ghost of murals past — deserves recognition as not just one of
Cincinnati’s finest, but also as an enduring piece of public art,
period.

Remembering Mike Amann, Covington's public arts advocate

Mike Amann wasn’t interested in
overthinking things. The designer, gallery owner, contemporary art
collector, husband and new father was more prone to spontaneous acts of
creativity than pre-calculated plans. Whatever the project, he always
dove right in and went for it.

Art on the Streets wants World Choir Games visitors to remember Cincinnati’s arts scene

During a time when the many cultures of the world are
bombarding Cincinnati all at once, it’s important to keep in mind
locality. The World Choir Games is undoubtedly a sensational movement in
the artistic realm across the globe, but Cincinnati will attempt to make an impact on the
games equal to its impact on the city. Cincinnati and world, meet Art on the Streets. It’s the best thing that’ll ever happen to you.

When it comes to public art, I appreciate programs like ArtWorks' ongoing MuralWorks project (and the jobs it creates), but what I really respond to is "ghost art." That public art or architecture which seems almost accidental: residue or remnants of something once present and now gone or something mysteriously placed in the public domain for no discernible intent.